


Asuna, Mon Amour

by aj_linguistik



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga), ソードアート・オンライン - 川原礫 | Sword Art Online - Kawahara Reki
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coworkers to lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, First Dates, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Kirito/Eiji, Model! Asuna, Modeling, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Photographer! Eugeo, Photography, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:07:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28784679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aj_linguistik/pseuds/aj_linguistik
Summary: He's a photographer looking for his big shot. She's A La Mode's top model. And, as circumstance would have it, she's looking for someone to work with her one-on-one. He's got what it takes to become the man who capture the life of the world's most famous model-but does he have the skills to capture her heart as well?
Relationships: Eugeo/Yuuki Asuna | Asuna
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	Asuna, Mon Amour

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hey, everyone! I couldn't help but start this idea for my favorite rarepair! I wanted something mutli-chapter in this tag, and I think I've come up with something good and fluffy! Stay tuned for more chapters! Who's ready for a long chapter fic for Eugeo/Asuna? Whooo!

People say that life is seen through rose-colored glasses. For me, it’s seen through a top-of-the-line Sigma DSLR camera lens.

I set down a carefully and professionally put together portfolio. The images inside were developed on the finest of photo papers, trimmed neatly and precisely, and affixed to the pages thematically to show off the many different kinds of photography I’d engaged in over the years. I’d taken family photos at a local store at first, starting to make money off of my hobby in my mid-teens. Later, I saved up my money and bought my first truly nice camera—and I took pictures of everything with it. Candid photos of friends. Still shots of nature. Vivid pictures of wildlife. Busy images of the city. Action shots of sports players. There was even a handful of shots for newspapers and tabloids I’d taken. I watched the man across from me flip through the pages with an impressive poker face. He hummed a few times, but I couldn’t read if it was positive or negative.

“Here’s how this works,” he said, closing the portfolio with care and precision. “You’ll attend Miss Yuuki’s public photoshoot tomorrow evening alongside the other job applicants. Everyone will submit their shots to me for review, and the best man wins the position.”

I swallowed nervously and nodded my head. I hoped that my nerves weren’t nearly as apparent on the outside as they felt. We both stood up, shook hands over his desk, and he gave me a pass to get into the event as a photographer. With this pass, I had cleared step one. I thanked the man, scooped up my portfolio, and hurried off to meet up with my best friend for a lunch to still my nerves.

The position I was applying for was a bit ambitious. A La Mode magazine’s top model, Yuuki Asuna, was looking to hire a new exclusive photographer. Apparently the other one wanted to move on and do something different with his life. I was mostly a hobbyist, but my dream was to land a job doing photography full time. I’d decided to go ahead and apply. The worst that could happen was that her agent, a grim looking man named Kayaba Akihiko, would turn me down after tomorrow’s test. I’d keep up my hobby and keep my eye out for more opportunities.

This position, though intimidating, was one I really, desperately wanted. Even if I stopped a few years down the road, working with someone as famous and powerful as Yuuki Asuna was my ticket to practically anything I wanted in the photography world. I tapped my thumbs on the steering wheel as I thought about it. She was an interesting subject, one who had character and expression in her modeling poses. Beyond the pull of her fame bumping my resumé, I felt an intense desire to capture those powerful eyes with my camera. Job or not, my chance would come tomorrow night. I had to make it count: for the sake of getting a nice job and for my own creative passion.

Pulling my car into an empty spot along the street, I climbed out of it and looked around the street before crossing over to the little café where I was meeting my friend. I saw him sitting outside of the café at a little table with the umbrella up, arm wrapped around his boyfriend’s shoulders. I hurried over to them, awkwardly waved, and sat down across from them.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you, too, Eiji,” I said, forcing a polite smile while I gave my best friend a look that told him I was way too nervous to be around anyone but him at the moment. “Did you guys already order?”

Eiji nodded and gave me a quick wave.

“Yeah, but just drinks,” he said. “She’ll be back for meals in a second.”

I waved my fist over the table trying to indicate I was grateful for the information. I let it come to an abrupt stop on the edge of the table and scanned the space for the menu. My friend slid one over to me and grinned.

“Don’t act all nervous, Eugeo,” he said. “I’m sure the interview went fine.”

Looking up at him as I snatched the menu out from under his fingers, I gave him a warning look for his teasing grin. He chuckled and pulled his hand back over to his side of the table.

“Kazuto, you know you’re not helping,” I said.

He nodded his head, rocking back and forth as he did so. I wanted to say something to him again, but the waitress stepped over to the table and asked us what we’d like to eat. Eiji ordered a roast beef sandwich, Kazuto went for a spicy chicken sandwich, and I ordered pastrami on rye. I also ordered a water. She slipped off and headed into the shop to get us our sandwiches. I sat back in my chair and held my head in my hands, letting out a pent-up sigh. Kazuto shook his head and chuckled lightly.

“Look, man, you just have to trust your own eye,” he said. “You’re one of the best photographers I know, why are you so nervous?”

Eiji rolled his eyes.

“He’s the only photographer you know,” he said.

Kazuto turned and gave Eiji an exaggerated glare.

“My point is,” Kazuto said, “is that you’re working yourself up on a maybe that probably isn’t going to happen.”

I swallowed and shook my head.

“So, you think I’m _not_ going to get the job?” I said.

He quickly started waving his hands frantically to indicate that I had it opposite, while Eiji just sat and laughed to himself at his boyfriend’s poor use of diction.

“No, no!” Kazuto said. “You’re the prime candidate for the position. You see the world in a way that many people don’t. You’re someone who’s just doing this because he loves it between jobs. Anyone who doesn’t hire you for your talent is crazy.”

I sighed. Sometimes, I wondered if he’d actually looked at other people’s photography before. Comparing myself to someone like Ansel Adams or Diane Arbus or even Dorothea Lange made me feel like I wasn’t very much of an artist. There was also the possibility that I underestimated my own work. How many times had someone said something bad about my photography? In truth, never.

The waitress returned with our sandwiches and my drink. I thanked her for the meal and eagerly picked it up to fill myself back up. Stress burned up a lot of energy. I was suddenly very grateful these sandwiches automatically came with fries and a pickle. I hopped between my three items and kept my mouth full enough to not have to respond while I ate. The whole time, Kazuto felt the need to explain to me why he thought I was good enough for the job, using the poor, unfortunate Eiji as a sounding board.

“I’m just saying,” he finally said. “There’s no room for doubt. I know you’re going to be the one they pick.”

I gave him a half-smile, and he grinned back at me, pointing across the table.

“Ayyyye, there’s my guy!” he said. “He smiled. Did you see that, Eiji? I finally got him to smile.”

Eiji’s eyes were focused down at his phone. They didn’t move when he responded.

“Yeah, I see,” he mumbled.

Laughing, I sighed and shook my head.

“You’re unbelievable,” I said. “So, I made it into the preliminary group. Mr. Kayaba is having us tested at tomorrow’s public photoshoot. Whoever brings him the best shots will have the position.”

Both Kazuto and Eiji looked over at me with wide eyes. I blinked.

“What?” I said.

They glanced at one another and then Kazuto smirked again.

“Dude,” he said. “Getting to take pictures of Yuuki Asuna is, like, ridiculously hard to do. Do you know how many thousands of dollars some people pay to get close enough to her to take a picture? And this guy’s letting you in to take picture of her for a job interview? That’s crazy. You’re already high above the rest of us.”

He mockingly bowed to me, which managed to get a slight laugh out of Eiji.

“But seriously, I’m proud of you,” he said.

Kazuto lifted up his tea and nodded for me to do the same with my water. I rolled my eyes, but I lifted it up to clink glasses with him.

“Cheers!” he said. “To Eugeo’s future success as the photographer of a super-hot model!”

He fell over laughing as Eiji jabbed an elbow into his ribs.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry” he said, still laughing.

I couldn’t help but to join in the laughter. I finished up my lunch feeling a bit better about myself. I had a fair shot at getting this job. My worries were perhaps a bit exaggerated. There was no need to make a judgement about my luck before the event. This was about skill in the moment.

I just had to prove that my skill was the best.


End file.
